PHOENIX — Two prospective ownership groups reportedly have submitted fully-funded, $6 billion bids to buy the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
One is led by billionaires Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales, which also includes Magic Johnson. The other is led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos.
Hours ahead of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual NFL Owners Meeting press conference at the Arizona Biltmore, ESPN reported that the $6 billion bids had been officially submitted to meet current owner Daniel Snyder’s asking price.
It’s possible a sale could happen before April’s NFL Draft.
Snyder is under investigation by former U.S. attorney Mary Jo White for alleged sexual misconduct and financial wrongdoing, and he is refusing to be interviewed in the investigation, according to The Washington Post.
[ Colts owner Jim Irsay sees ‘merit to remove’ Dan Snyder as Washington owner ]
The NFL’s owners seem to be hanging the somehow-incomplete investigation over Snyder’s head as incentive for him to sell the team to avoid seeing White’s findings released to the public.
Owners actually paused any consideration of removing Snyder from ownership this week, the Washington Post reported.
Giants co-owner John Mara, the chairman of the NFL management council, pleaded ignorance Monday on any new developments in Snyder’s ownership situation.
“That has not been discussed at any of our meetings, and I’m not really familiar with what’s going on right now,” he said.
[ NFL commish Roger Goodell pressured by Congress to release Washington report ]
Asked if a Washington sale would be good for the NFC East, Mara cracked: “I’m not gonna comment on that. The NFC East doesn’t need any help. The NFC East is strong enough.”
